Pilot-coupling.



. No. 630,575. Patented Aug. 8, |899. S. A. TEAL C. C. MCPHERSUN.

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im l l No. 630,575. Patented Aug. s, |899. s. A. TEAL a c. c. McPHEnsoN.

PILT COUPLING.

(Application filed Mar. 6, 1899.) @N0 MdeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3 No. 630,575. Patented Aug. 8, |899. S. A. TEAL &. C. C. MCPHERSUN. PILOT DOUPLING. (Applimon mea mar. e, 1899.) (No Model.)

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UNITED .STATES vPATENT FFICE.

STEBBINS A. TEAL AND CI-IARLESO. MOPHERSON, OF MISSOURI VALLEY,

. IOWA.

PILOT-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 630,575, dated August 8, 1899.

Application filed March 6, 1899. Serial No. 708,000. (N0 model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe, STEBBINs A. TEAL and CHARLES C. McPHERsoN, citizens of the United States, residing vat Missouri Valley, Harrison county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pilot-Couplers, of which the following is aspeciiication.

Our invention relates to that'class of couplers which are pivoted to the front part of a locomotive directly over the pilot, and. particularly to the mechanism by whichthe coup-` z ler is moved into its operative position, sus-v tained therein, and Withdrawn from such position.

The object of our inventionistoprovidea pivoted pilot-couplerwith means for moving it into operative position, yieldingly holding' it in such position, and removing it from such position; and the invention consists in the features, combinations, anddetails `of construction hereinafter described and claimed.:

In the accompanyingy drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the pilot of a locomotive, showing our improvements attached thereto; Fig.

2, a longitudinal sectional elevation of the, same, taken on line 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3,' a similar View taken on line 3 of'Fig. 1,'an'd Fig. 4I a longitudinal vertical sectional elevation of a modied form of our improvements.

1 In illustrating and describing our i'mprove. ments We have only illustrated and described' so much of a locomotive as is necessary to prop. erly disclose the invention and enable those.

skilled in the art to practice the same, leaving out of consideration other and Well-known parts which, if illustrated and described here, Y

lthe coupler when in its inoperative position', v.

as shown particularly in Fig. 2. This frame portion maybe made of a metal casting ror of any other desired-material.

To hold the coupler in its operative ppsi tion, as shown in full lines and as illustrated by the mechanism in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, we provide a supporting-link D, which is pivotally connected to the draw-bar portion, as shown particularly inFig. 2, and Which is notched at d at or near its lower portion and adapted to engage with'a semi-elliptical leaf-spring E, which spring issecured to the frame portion of the locomotive by means of the bolts e. From an inspection of Fig. 2 of the drawings yit will be seen that the supporting-link is in engagement with the extreme 'free end of the leaf-spring, so that during the movements of the locomotivethe coupler is sustained in its Operative position in a yielding manner, thus minimizing the danger of the destruction of the parts owing to the rapid running of the locomotive or the irregularities of the rails. In order to provide hand-operated mechanism by which the pilot-coupler is allowed to return to its inoperative position, a rock-shaft IGr is provided,havingits bearings in the bracketsgon the frame of the pilot. This rockshaft is Vprovided with a bell-crank lever g@ which in turn is provided with a tripping-arm QG', pivotally connected thereto, and which has its free end arranged to contact the supporting-link, as shown in Fig. 2. handle. G?, that is formed integral with the rock-shaft, is raised, as shown in dotted outline` in Fig.'3, the tripping-arm pushes the supporting-link out of engagement with the leaf-spring. and allows the parts to drop into the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2. 'As the parts reach their lowest limit of motion they contact the spring, which acts as a cushion to prevent injury to the parts. A coiled spring H (shown in Fig. 2) is also provided, which has one endsecured to the frame of the coupler and the other to the draw-bar, so as to act as a cushion and prevent the parts contactin g each other with injurious force during the disengaging motions. To return the drawbar to its engaging position, as shown in solid lines in Figs. 2 and 3, the draw-bar is raised so that the supporting-link D comes above the forward free end of the leaf-spring and When the IOO by gravity is in position to engage therewith. The letting go of the draw-bar permits the Weight of the draw-bar and link to rest upon the end of the leaf-spring and in position to be engaged again by the rock-shaft and tripping-arm.

In Fig. 4 we have shown modifications of mechanisms for moving the coupler into operative position, yieldingly holding it in such position,and withdrawingit therefrom. These mechanisms consist of a supporting-link I, arranged to engage with a recess e on the free end of the supporting leaf-spring. A uidpressure cylinder K is used, havin g a movable piston 7o therein and provided with a pistonrod lo', projecting therefrom, which in turn is connected with the supporting-link by means of the link k2. The fluid-pressure for operating this piston may be steam, though we prefer to use compressed air, which is admitted or exhausted through either of the pipes k3 and 7a4. Examining the drawings it will be seen that when fluid-pressure is admitted to the huid-pressure cylinder through the pipe k3 the piston is moved forwardly, so as to push the supporting-link I into its vertical position, as shown in Fig. il. When fluidpressure is permitted to exhaust from the left of the movable piston and to enter through the pipes 7a4, the piston is Withdrawn, so as to pull the link toward the left and permit the draw-bar to drop into its inoperative position. The leaf-spring, as will be seen, acts to hold the draw-bar and coupling-head yieldingly in operative position.

We claiml. In a pilot-coupler, the combinationof a draw-bar pivotally secured to a pilot, and a supportin g-sprin g arranged to yieldin gly hold the draw-bar and its coupling-head in operative position, substantially as described.

2. In a pilot-coupler, the combination of a draw-bar and couplin g-head pivotally secured to a pilot, supporting-spring mechanism, and a link or similar element pivotally secured to the draw-bar and arranged to contact the supporting-spring mechanism and yieldingly hold the draw-bar and its coupling-head in operative position, substantially as described.

3. In a pilot-coupler, the combination of a draw-barand coupling-head pivotally secured to a pilot, a supporting leaf-spri n g secured to the frame of the locomotive and arranged in a substantially, horizontal plane, a link or cured to the draw-bar and adapted to engage the free end of the leaf-spring and yieldingly hold the draw-bar and coupling-head in operative position, and means for moving the link to permit the draw-bar and coupling-head to be moved into an operative position, substantially as described.

5. In a pilot-coupler, the combination ol a draw-bar and coupling-head pi votallysecured to the pilot of a locomotive, a leaf-spring secured to the frame of a locomotive, a supporting-link pivotally secured to the draw-bar and arranged to contact the leaf-spring and yieldingly hold the draw-bar and coupling-head in operative position, a fluid-pressure cylinder having a movable piston therein, and means connecting the movable piston with the supporting-link to operate the same and move the draw-bar and coupling-head into their operative and inoperative positions, substantially as described.

G. In a pilot-coupler, the combination of a draw-bar and coupling-head pivotally secured to the pilot of a locomotive, a leaf-spring secured to the frame of a locomotive, a supportin g-lin k pivotally secured to the draw-bar and arrangedto contact the leaf-spring and yieldingly hold the draw-bar and coupling-head in operative position, a fluid-pressure cylinder having a movable piston therein, means connecting the movable piston with the supporting-link to operate the same and move the draw-bar and coupling-head into their operative and inoperative positions, and a spring secured to the pilot-frame and draw-bar to act as a cushion for the draw-bar, substantially as described.

STEBBINS A. TEAL. CHARLES C. MCIIIERSON. Witnesses:

FRED T. HOLMES, W. D. CoDY.

IOO 

